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Ross Sea Overview

Antarctica Cruises - Ross Sea

Ross Sea

Why Visit

If “remote” has a geographic icon, then Antarctica’s Ross Sea must surely be it. If you’re an adventurer who seeks to explore the planetary edges few have ever visited, a cruise to this nether region (in utmost comfort, of course) is your ultimate trophy tack on the map.

This is a wilderness of whiteness, a semi-frozen sea of gargantuan glaciers and fantastic tabular icebergs broken off from vast ice shelves. Inland, the Dry Valleys—accessible only by helicopter—present a seldom-seen supernatural world of wind-sculpted rock formations and countless petrified skeletal animal remains. While the Ross Sea region makes up a bare two percent of the Southern Ocean, it is one of the world’s last truly pristine ecosystems.

The wildlife that calls the Ross Sea home took millions of years of fine-tuning to be able to survive in the harshest of all climates—above and below the water. The diversity of species and their numbers are staggering. Spot your share of 24,000 whales, 300,000 seals, and millions of seabirds—all supported by millions of tons of Antarctic krill served in optimum chilled conditions.

Now for the penguins...The largest of their species, the emperor, is the only one that breeds during the planet’s most brutal winter—beautifully documented in the film March of the Penguins. About 240,000 emperors raise their families in the Ross Sea environs. If conditions permit, helicopters bring you close to the colonies to witness and photograph the birds nesting on the ice.

At the base of the sea lies Ross Island, where Mt. Erebus rises 13,000 feet above the landscape. This island is home to the famous McMurdo Station, the largest of more than two dozen scientific research centers in Antarctica. Weather and ice conditions permitting, you’ll also have the chance to visit Cape Royds and view the hut built by Ernest Shackleton, now neighbored by thousands of Adelie penguins—the southernmost penguin colony on the planet. Nearby on Cape Evans is the well-preserved hut of Robert Falcon Scott, built in 1911. To stand in the very footsteps of these two giants of Antarctic exploration is indeed an emotional experience.

This Antarctica cruise to the continent’s southernmost accessible point takes longer than the traditional peninsula journey, and raw weather conditions often dictate a flexible itinerary. But a Ross Sea voyage claims an adventure category all its own, and its rewards transcend the boundaries of imagination.

Note: Ross Sea voyages depart from New Zealand or Australia. Most stop at the exquisite Sub-Antarctic Islands to explore the wildlife and profuse endemic flora and fauna of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

Straddling the 180º meridian about 2,600 miles south of New Zealand, Antarctica’s Ross Sea was first charted by British explorer James Clark Ross in 1841. With McMurdo Sound as its most navigable waterway—and the gateway to the continent—this remote geographic region harbors one of our planet’s last intact ecosystems and boasts a century-long history of exploration that remains unrivaled.

Norwegian adventurer Carsten Borchgrevink was the first to winter in Antarctica. In February 1899, with his Southern Cross crew of ten men (and 75 sled dogs), Borchgrevink built camp at Cape Adare and spent the next year assembling volumes of geologic information, surveying the magnetic South Pole and collecting specimens of botanicals and marine wildlife. But by the time Borchgrevink returned to England in 1900, the world had fixated its attention on Robert Falcon Scott and his pursuit of the South Pole in 1901. It wasn’t until 1930 that the English finally rewarded Borchgrevink’s groundbreaking work with the Patron’s Medal of the Royal Geographic Society.

During the first two decades of the 20th century, Antarctic expeditions in the Ross Sea were numerous and their leaders legendary. After Borchgrevink came Robert Falcon Scott, Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen, Edmund Hillary and Vivian Fuchs. The conquest of the South Pole in 1911 remains one of the greatest races in history. When Scott and his team anchored off Ross Island in January and set off to reach the South Pole, he wasn’t aware that his rival, Amundsen, setting off from the Bay of Whales, had already planted his flag five weeks earlier on December 14.

Travelers on an Antarctic Ross Sea cruise can visit the huts along McMurdo Sound. Terra Nova, Scott’s 1911 hut, still contains much of the expedition’s equipment. Shackleton’s 1907-09 hut at Cape Royds now stands near an Adelie penguin rookery—where thousands of the birds comprise the world’s southernmost colony. In February, 1956, the U.S. opened McMurdo Station, among whose missions it is to study world climate and regional ecosystems. In austral summer, the station’s 85 buildings include housing for about 1,250 researchers and staff.

Physically, the Ross Sea region is a rugged, icy wilderness punctuated by dramatic features. Victoria Land bordering the sea is dominated by the soaring 2,200-mile-long Transatlantic Mountain Range, which divides the Antarctic into east and west. The Dry Valleys, the continent’s only region free of ice and snow, has not seen precipitation for, some speculate, two to four million years. Rising nearly 12,000 feet above the cluster of volcanic islands, Mt. Erebus (Greek god, son of Chaos) is the world’s southernmost active volcano, erupting continuously since 1972.

The Ross Sea Ice Shelf, the planet’s largest, borders terra firma for 600 miles—at 182,000 square miles it’s the size of France. And under the 24/7 summer sun, when temperatures nudge past the freezing mark, the massive ice pack breaks into giant puzzle shapes. Below these frigid waters lies a marine world that teems with life and enough nutrients to sustain all of it, including the millions of seabirds, penguins and mammals that depend on its pristine conditions. Ninety-five species of fish live here, along with orca and minke whales, and Weddell and Leopard Seals. A third of the planet’s Adelie and emperor penguins thrive here, along with many other seabird species.

At McMurdo Sound, studies of Antarctica’s global climate effects have lead to a surprising and profound discovery. Freezing polar winds that cause the Ross Sea surface to freeze push the salt below the ice. This “heavy” water sinks to the ocean’s floor and is then forced out into ocean basins around the world. Climatologist Gerd Wendler explains: "Seventy five percent of all the bottom water, wherever you are, comes from Antarctica." What traveler wouldn’t want to boast an Antarctic cruise to the source?

How to Choose a Trip

When looking for the perfect trip to Antarctica it’s easy to become confused by the many different options. Several factors come into play when you’re selecting a trip and knowing your preferences in each of these areas will help you narrow the field and select the trip that’s just right for you.

When to TravelTrips to Antarctica operate between November and March each year. We recommend traveling between December 1 and February 15 for the very best weather and wildlife viewing. Baby penguins are born right around December 15th and then wear their brown furry coats in January. By February, the penguins all look like adults, and come mid-February, the penguins and seals start heading back out to sea.

Some of the best trip rates are offered in November, yet the sea ice can be quite thick at this time so you may not reach as far south as you would later in the year, plus you won’t see any baby penguins. Late February/March is a great time to see whales and dolphins as the sea ice is more open then. Still, the penguins are almost all gone at that time, plus they’ve been on shore all season and left red guano on the once pristine glaciers. November, February and March are great times to be in Antarctica as long as you know what to expect.

If you can travel anytime, we suggest you travel to Antarctica between December 1 and February 15.

Trip OptionsAs this may be the only time you visit Antarctica (unless you contract “Polar Fever” as many do and find yourself returning again and again), it’s important to consider how much time you would like to spend in the region and which itineraries offer the very best experience.

Trips that visit the Antarctic Peninsula range from 10-14 days while trips that include visits to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia average 18-25 days. If you have enough time available, it’s well worth including all three destinations, particularly South Georgia which is one of the most spectacular wildlife spots on Earth!

Why South Georgia?Here's a client comment about South Georgia: "South Georgia was without doubt the most memorable part of our expedition. The wildlife, scenery, remoteness all combined to make it an unforgettable experience. In fact, the Antarctic itself was somewhat anti-climactic after that. If it were available I would heartily recommend people consider visiting South Georgia."

Why is South Georgia so special? There are only a handful of places on the planet that offer such an incredible wildlife experience and South Georgia is one of those places. Imagine stepping onto a sandy beach and being welcomed by tens of thousands of king penguins as far as the eye can see. South Georgia offers the chance to see several wildlife species that you will not likely see in Antarctica: king penguins, macaroni penguins, thousands of fur and elephant seals, nesting wandering albatross with 20-foot wingspans, light mantled sooty albatross, and the list goes on..

We consider the longer 18-25 day itinerary that includes South Georgia and the Falklands to be the “gold standard” of trips to Antarctica.

Ship OptionsThere are essentially two styles of ships that travel to Antarctica: the simple researchvessels that offer basic accommodations, and the more attractive and luxurious expedition vessels which are more like floating hotels with large cabins, beautiful furnishings and many amenities. Both styles of ship offer fantastic experiences in the region and the key is to decide which style is right for you.

Research Vessels: These simple ships, some hailing from Russia, have basic furnishings and feel a lot like a college dorm. Some have long tables in the dining room, cabins with shared, dorm-like baths, and lecture halls that are under the waterline with no windows. They also tend to offer more adventurous trips and optional activities like kayaking and camping or even mountaineering and cross-country skiing. These ships attract an active, sometimes younger set of fellow passengers eager for fast hikes and often focus more on exciting shore visits and wildlife viewing than on in-depth education programs.

Expedition Vessels: These beautiful ships are more like floating hotels and have expert service and cuisine as well as the most highly credentialed naturalists and guides onboard. Cabins are often larger with private baths and attractive furnishings. Restaurant-style dining, spa services, elevators, more comprehensive gym equipment and other amenities can be found on these more comfortable ships. Many of these ships offer the kind of first-class experts the world turns to for climate change research or wildlife habitat information. The goal of these ships is to offer a wonderfully comfortable environment as well as exciting shore visits and amazing wildlife viewing. A few expedition vessels offer kayaking and camping as well.

We recommend that you select the style that will feel just right to you. The simpler ships do not necessarily offer lower rates so the style of ship may not determine your best value which varies from ship to ship.

Ship SizeThe size of a ship does make a difference in Antarctica where, due to conservation guidelines, only 100 passengers can be on shore at one time. Ships that carry 100 passengers or fewer will take all passengers to shore at one time, while ships starting at 126 passengers are required to take passengers to shore in shifts. This works very well, however, as there's no waiting and you disembark when your group is called.

Half the passengers on a larger ship may have a Zodiac cruise around the shoreline while the other half explores a landing on foot, or vice-versa. This may shorten your shore visits from 2.5-3 hours to 2-2.5 hours per shore visit for the larger ships.

If having as much time on shore as possible to see the most wildlife you can is most important to you, you will want to select a ship carrying close to 100 passengers or fewer.

Let us help youPlanning a trip to Antarctica is exciting yet you may find yourself considering two or more ships that seem right for you. Let ExpeditionTrips take the guesswork out of selecting your Antarctica trip. Our company is a crossroads for information and we can help you select the trip that will offer the kind of experience you are seeking. We’ll help you select the perfect trip for your journey to the great White Continent!